Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Se a frigideira estiver muito quente, tapa‑a e reduz o lume. - If the frying pan is too hot, cover it and turn the heat down.

Estiver is the future subjunctive of estar. In European Portuguese, after se (if) for a condition that will be checked in the future or at a later moment, you normally use the future subjunctive: Se … estiver …. English uses a present form in this kind of if‑clause (“If it is…”), but Portuguese prefers the future subjunctive for real, verifiable conditions. Using Se a frigideira está… in this instruction would sound odd or nonstandard in Portugal.

Why is it estar (temporary state) and not ser (e.g., for)?

Heat is a temporary, changeable state, so Portuguese uses estar. Se a frigideira estiver muito quente = “If the pan is (at that moment) very hot.” Using ser (e.g., for) would be incorrect here because it would suggest a permanent characteristic.

What does tapa‑a mean exactly? Where does the a come from?

Tapar = to cover.
A is the third‑person singular direct‑object clitic pronoun for a feminine noun (here, a frigideira). So tapa‑a means “cover it (the pan).”
The hyphen shows the object pronoun is attached to the verb (enclisis), which is standard in affirmative commands in European Portuguese.

Why is the pronoun after the verb with a hyphen? Could it go before?

In European Portuguese, affirmative imperatives take pronouns after the verb with a hyphen: tapa‑a.
In negative imperatives, the pronoun goes before the verb: não a tapes (“don’t cover it”).
With other triggers of proclisis (e.g., certain adverbs, negation), the pronoun can also come before, but not in a plain affirmative command like this.

Why tapa‑a and not tapá‑la?

Use ‑la/‑lo/‑las/‑los only when the verb form ends in ‑r, ‑s, or ‑z; you drop that final consonant and add an L:

Infinitive: tapar + a → tapá‑la (drop the final ‑r, add ‑la)
Imperative here is tapa (ends in a vowel, not r/s/z), so you keep a: tapa‑a.
Another example: reduz + o → reduzi‑lo? Careful: with a verb form that ends in ‑z, you drop the z and add ‑lo: reduz‑lo.

Can I say tapa ela instead of tapa‑a?

No. Ela is a stressed pronoun (subject or after prepositions), not a direct‑object clitic. Standard European Portuguese requires the clitic a attached to the verb in affirmative commands: tapa‑a. (In casual speech some people may use stressed pronouns in object position, but it’s nonstandard and best avoided in learning.)

Is reduz the informal “tu” imperative? What would the formal version be?

Yes. Tapa and reduz are the “tu” (informal singular) imperative forms. The polite/neutral você forms would be:

Tape‑a e reduza o lume. Both options are common in recipes in Portugal; choose based on the level of formality.

How do I form the “tu” imperative for these verbs?

A safe rule: use the 3rd person singular of the present indicative.

tapar → (ele) tapa → tu imperative: tapa
reduzir → (ele) reduz → tu imperative: reduz Negative commands use the present subjunctive:
não tapes, não reduzas

Why lume and not fogo?

In Portugal, lume is the standard word for the cooking heat/flame on the hob: lume brando (low), lume médio, lume alto. Fogo means “fire” in general and sounds Brazilian in this kitchen context (BR Portuguese says fogo; PT says lume).

Could I say baixa o lume or diminui o lume instead of reduz o lume?

Yes:

Baixa o lume is very common and colloquial (“turn the heat down”).
Diminui o lume is correct but less colloquial than baixa.
Reduz o lume is also fine and a bit more neutral/formal.

Does muito quente mean “very hot” or “too hot”? Should it be demasiado quente?

Muito quente = “very/really hot.” If you want to say “too hot,” the most explicit options are demasiado quente (PT) or quente de mais. In practice, recipes may say muito quente even when the idea is “too hot,” relying on context. If you need to be precise, use demasiado.

Any pronunciation tips (European Portuguese)?

Approximate guides:

Se ≈ “suh” with a very short, closed vowel.
a ≈ “uh.”
frigideira ≈ “free-zhee-DAY-ruh” (the g before i = “zh”; stress on “DEI”).
estiver ≈ “ush-tee-VEHR” (the s before t = “sh”).
muito ≈ “MOYN-too” (nasal first syllable).
quente ≈ “KEN-t(uh)” (final e very reduced).
tapa‑a ≈ “TAH-pah-uh” (the final “a”s touch).
e (and) ≈ “ee.”
reduz ≈ “heh-DOOSH” (guttural Portuguese r; final z like “sh” in EP).
o ≈ “oo.”
lume ≈ “LOO-mih.”

Do I need the comma after the Se… clause?

Yes. When a conditional clause comes first, you normally separate it with a comma: Se a frigideira estiver muito quente, … If the order is reversed, you typically omit it: … tapa‑a e reduz o lume se a frigideira estiver muito quente.

Why is the pronoun a feminine? How would it change with a masculine noun?

Frigideira is feminine, so the direct‑object clitic is a. With a masculine noun, you’d use o:

o tacho (pot, masc.) → tapa‑o (“cover it”)
Plurals: as frigideiras → tapa‑as; os tachos → tapa‑os

What happens in the negative?

Pronoun goes before the verb (proclisis).
The verb switches to the present subjunctive. Examples with tu:
Não a tapes. (“Don’t cover it.”)
Não reduzas o lume. (“Don’t turn the heat down.”) With você:
Não a tape.
Não reduza o lume.